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Ecology chapter 3
Vocab words chapter 3
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Chapter 3 | Lesson 1 |
natural resources | Anything naturally occurring in the environment that humans use. |
pollution | Contamination of the Earth's land, water, or air. |
nonpoint source | A widely spread source of pollution that is difficult to link to a specific point of origin. |
point source | Specific source of pollution that can be identified. |
environmental science | The study of the natural process that occurs in the environment and how humans affect that. |
Chapter 3 | Lesson 2 |
Renewable resource | A resource that is either always available or is naturally replaced in a relatively short time. |
sustainable use | The use of a resource in ways that maintain the resource at a certain period of time. |
nonrenewable resource | A natural resource that is not replaced in a useful time frame |
ecological footprint | The amount of land and water that individuals use to meet their resource needs and to absorb the wastes that they produce |
conservation | The practice of using less of a resource so that it can last longer |
Chapter 3 | Lesson 3 |
Exponential growth | Growth patterns in which individuals in a population reproduce at a constant rate, so that the larger population gets, the faster it grows |
Chapter 3 | Lesson 4 |
Clear cutting | The process of cutting down all the trees in an area at once |
selective cutting | The process of cutting down only some tree species in an area |
sustainable yield | An amount of a renewable resource that can be harvested regularly without reducing the future supply. |
fishery | An area with a large population of valuable ocean organisms |
aquaculture | The practice of raising fish and other water-dwelling organisms for food. |
Chapter 3 | Lesson 5 |
Biodiversity | The total number of different species on earth including those on land in the water and in the air. |
Keystone species | A species that influences the survival of many other species in an ecosystem. |
gene | A sequence of DNA that determines a trait and is passed from parent to offspring. |
extinction | The disappearance of all members of a species on earth. |
endangered species | A species in danger of becoming extinct in the near future. |
threatened species | A species that could become endangered in the near future. |
habitat destruction | The loss of a natural habitat. |
habitat fragmentation | The breaking into a habitat into smaller, isolated pieces. |
poaching | Illegal killing or removal of wildlife from their habitat . |
captive breeding | The mating of animals in a zoo or wildlife preserves . |